Monday, April 23, 2012

The Weather in Queryland and Other Adventures

I'm back from semi-hiatus! As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been finishing up the line edits and final polish of Noir a/k/a Martinis with the Devil, and was going to start querying. Well, I did and I have! I usually send in small batches, so I've sent 6 out, and will see what kind of feedback I get before proceeding to Round 2. So, clear skies thus far in Queryland, though I have no doubt there'll be some rain clouds along the way. It's just the nature of the agent-finding beast.

So, now that Noir is out the door, I'm going to be starting the first draft of my middle grade fantasy soon. I always love first drafts, so I'm excited. And since I finished one big portion of my goals for the year with Noir, I checked the little timeline I'd written at the beginning of the year, and I'm only about a month behind on them. Not so bad, huh? I can catch up.

In other random news, I finished the Hunger Games trilogy. I read the first one over a year ago, and then never moved on to the second until the movie came out. I thought the second was good, but - don't kill me - I really did not like Mockingjay, the last book. Not that the writing is less great, but it was just such a depressing and sudden ending to me. You guys who have read it will know what I mean. And the conclusion to the whole Peeta vs. Gale thing? Lame. Anyone else felt like that about this series, or another?

So, what all have you been up to, writer friends?

16 comments:

  1. Good stuff! And glad someone like first drafts.

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  2. I was sooo disappointed in the third book. I felt like everything got sloppy, not the writing per say, but the character's choices.

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  3. Woot woot! Welcome back! Good luck on the query front. Query Tracker has become as big a constant check for me as facebook and my email. It's actually a circle. Do other stuff for a while. Check Twitter. Check Facebook. Check Email. Check QT. Do other stuff for a little while longer. Check Twitter. Check Facebook. Check Email. Check QT. It's like a freaking disease!

    Have fun with the new one too!

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  4. Good luck on your queries. I'm in that process too. Just got a "personal" response back today from an agent who said she had a family health crisis and is not accepting queries for the remainder of the year. I guess that's a no?

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  5. Wishing you all the best! Hope all goes well and that you meet with success. Welcome back from hiatus.

    I still haven't read the other two books...

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  6. LOL--the "agent-finding beast." Best wishes! and how exciting to start a new project. That is a smart thing to do while you wait. Have fun!!

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  7. Oh, I forgot to say--I heard MOCKINGJAY (the third book; CATCHING FIRE is the 2nd book) had a non-satisfactory ending, and so I didn't read it! I enjoyed the first 2 books, though. I am definitely getting tired of every book I read being continued. I usually just read the first and stop there.

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  8. I have just read the first book of Hunger Games. I too have heard that the last book was a little depressing.

    Good luck with your queries. Hope you get an agent fast.

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  9. Welcome back! I still haven't read the second 2 books yet... but plan to soon. Hey good luck in queryland and have lots of fun with your new story. I'm right in the middle of one myself and just loving it. :)

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  10. Here's hoping for continued clear skies in Queryland. I've got my fingers crossed for you. =o)

    Yeah, the end of that series was totally disappointing for me. I get that sometimes characters have to die, but I'd like for there to be a good reason - some meaning behind it beyond forcing the reader to feel pain. :shrug: Real life has enough meaningless stuff without fiction having it, too.

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  11. Congrats on having fun in Queryland. I am enjoying it too. I've gotten some bites so that is always nice.
    As for Hunger Games, I agree wholeheartedly. After I put down book three I was so sad and mad. Not the ending I would have preferred at all.

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  12. HG is pretty polarizing. I liked the third book, loved the first one, and disliked the second one.

    Good luck in Queryland! Hope you get lots of requests!

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  13. I've been on a blogging break for the past few weeks, too--though for not as exciting reasons. Good luck on your querying adventures:):)

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  14. Yes, I read all three Hunger Games books and the ending wasn't what I expected or how I would have done it. I suppose it was realistic though. Its a shame but heroes don't live happily ever after, but I like mine to.
    Personally I wish she hadn't of killed Fin or would have at least given him a more heroic death.
    Any ways, I was wondering about the querying process.Do you query publishing companies first or agents? I've been confused on the matter.

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  15. Yay! Welcome back. Sounds like it was a productive break! I've been busy editing!

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  16. How nice to have a manuscript done and "out the door" :-)

    Yeah, I wasn't that keen on how Mockingjay ended. Although, it was hard to imagine it could be any other way, not after all the horrible things that happened... But I was team Gale, so I was pretty bummed about that!

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I love talking with friends new and old! What's on your mind?